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Effects of altered maternal metabolism and breastfeeding on the development of allergic diseases in offspring – A study using the Growing Up in Ireland infant cohort (waves 1-3)

In recent years, asthma and other allergic diseases are increasingly common in childhood. Concurrently, there have been changes in the nutritional status of infants, which can be attributed to altered maternal metabolism during pregnancy. This altered state is reflected in increased infant adiposity and increased infant birth sizes. It is probable that these changes in neonates can be influenced by early nutrition feeding events, especially breastfeeding. Thus, this project aims to study how maternal and environmental influences on fetal development can increase the risk of developing allergic diseases. This project will use existing data available from a nationally representative large study of infants in Ireland, to explore whether these changes in altered maternal metabolism during pregnancy is associated with the development of atopy in offspring, in particular, diseases such as asthma and eczema. This project will also investigate whether any found association between altered maternal metabolism during pregnancy and subsequent allergic diseases in infant can modified by breastfeeding. In sum, this project aspires to answer the question “For a large sized infant, can the risk of asthma and other allergic diseases be lowered via breastfeeding, given a mother with altered metabolism during pregnancy?”